Diseases of the vascular vessels currently represent one of the most frequent diseases with fatal outcomes. Particular mention should be made here of coronary infarction caused by diseases of the coronary vessels. Arteriosclerotic plaque results in a blockage of the coronary vessels, which can take a more or less serious form.
In recent years different methods for treating such narrowings of for example the coronary vessels or at other points in the vessel system have emerged. In such cases the attempt is made to remove the plaque or to destroy it and/or to expand the vessel in order to remedy the blockage of the vessel in this way. Interventions of this type for treating partly or completely blocked vessels are mostly carried under x-ray control with an angiography system. However in such cases the vessels involved, such as the coronary vessels for example, only appear as a two-dimensional silhouette. To make the vessel clearly visible additional contrast means must be injected into the vessel, and if for example the vessel is completely blocked, these means do not reach all areas of the vessel. In such cases the problem arises of some patients suffering from contrast means allergies or of the contrast means producing a hot feeling. In addition to this it is possible for the patient to suffer radiation damage.
On the other hand, because of the very restricted imaging, even with the provision of contrast means, it is very difficult for the medical personal to differentiate between plaque and vessel wall during the intervention. This increases the risk or removing or destroying tissue at the wrong places, so that injury to the vessel wall can result for example.
In as far as attempts have been made to rectify these types of problem by additional image monitoring as well as x-ray monitoring there has previously been the problem that, depending on the type of additional image monitoring, only a restricted local resolution or a good resolution only in the local area but not an entirely satisfactory representation can be achieved.
It is often necessary in treatment of diseases of vascular vessels, in order to support the opening of the vessel, to introduce a stent, i.e. a vessel support which mechanically stabilizes the vessel wall. A further expansion of the vessel can be achieved with stents for example. To introduce such stents it has previously been necessary to remove the catheter, on which there is provision for the treatment tool for the treatment of the vessel constriction again and subsequently to introduce the stent with a second catheter. This process is stressful for the patient however and involves risks, especially as regards the occurrence of a restenosis.